Actor Earle Hyman Dies At 91

“It feels like a member of the family is gone.” That was many people’s reaction when they heard the news that the man who played “Grandpa Huxtable” on The Cosby Show for years, Earle Hyman, had died.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Actor Earle Hyman died on Friday, November 17th at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, N.J. He was 91. The cause of death has not been reported yet.

Despite the fact that he is only 11 years older than Bill Cosby, actor Earle Hyman, portrayed Cliff’s father Russell (Grand Huxtable) on “The Cosby Show. Hyman appeared in 40 episodes of The Cosby Show over the course of its nine-season run. In 1986, Hyman even received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for his work in the classic Season 2 episode “Happy Anniversary.”

In addition to his work on The Cosby Show, Hyman was the voice of Panthro on the 1980s cartoon Thundercats. Additional TV credits included All My Children and The Defenders.

And it doesn’t stop there, Hyman was also known for his stage work. In 1980, he won the Tony award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for the role of Oscar in Edward Albee’s The Lady From Dubuque.